Here is the coupon news and consumer news that caught our eye this week:
-A woman in Connecticut sued Rite Aid for 12 cents. She bought four $0.99 cent items, totaling $3.96. After two $1.00 coupons, her final cost was $1.96. Rite Aid charged her tax (24 cents) on the pre-coupon amount. She argued the tax should have been 12 cents, based on the cost after coupons. The courts decided in favor of Rite Aid, since the woman never attempted to ask for a refund before suing. Apparently, Connecticut law says that taxes should be applied to the amount after discounts, so technically she may have been correct.
-The FDA has banned outright the US import of milk, milk products, fresh vegetables, and fresh fruit from areas near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. It will test all other imported food products from those areas.
-Eggplant is scarce on grocery shelves this week due to freezing weather in the south. First, freezing temperatures in December and January wiped out much of the Florida eggplants. Then, freezing weather hit the Mexico, where growers lost 70-100% of their eggplant crop. Hothouse eggplants and new Florida crops should be in stores in a week or two.
-Today, Arkansas approved a cut on grocery sales tax. In 2007, the tax was 6%, then it dropped to 2%, and the latest cut brings it to 1.5%.